Little Albatross Beauty
by Maihi
Summary: Love has no boundaries, save death. Zoe must move on in life, facing the prospect of a future without love. A future without the child she always wanted. But a little albatross decides other wise...
1. Chapter 1

**All characters contained here within, are the property of Joss Whedon. No copyright infringement is intended. Please enjoy.**

_Summary: Having received a formal pardon from the Alliance for River and Simon Tam, the crew of Serenity are trying to rebuild their lives the best way they can... Picking up freelance work, and taking to the sky!_

**Chapter 1**  
**Rise & Shine**  
**-**

Serenity sat lifelessly amongst a bustling trader's settlement. Her shadow fell long across the sand strewn ground. It must have been nigh on night fall. Every living person who dwelled with the ship was undoubtedly enjoying the local brew in one of the many smoke filled bars… save for one person.

She lay silent in contemplation. This was the first time she bad been afforded any time alone; time to feel, and experience utter solitude. Sure, she had been around many great men and women, a great deal of whom she cared for, loved… and would even die for. But nothing affected her more than lying in her sleeping quarters alone. He should have stayed with her last night. The way his breathing grew softer and softer as he passed into unknown dreams. His breath often grazed her face, as she lay contemplating her fortunes of the long days work. He would always drop to sleep before her. In earlier times it was annoying but time had lessened her retaliatory shots with pillows.

She had learnt his ways inside out, as he had done for her. Always he rose before she did, and he would often stare down upon his beautiful wife willing her ever so gently to awaken before the responsibilities of his day forced him from their quarters. On those sweet mornings she would open her eyes slowly, knowing he was staring intensely upon her, though her focus had not yet adjusted. A loving smile would slowly spread across his lips as their eyes met. Pools of soft blue glistened somehow in the stark morning before the lights set their quarters ablaze. He would look into those dark eyes he so desired, and pass messages of unspoken love. He would gently caress her face with his finger tips, before grazing her lips with his.

Her head lay heavily upon her out stretched arm, as she lay positioned on her side like always.

She hated this; the way she hadn't shaken the habit of her arm snaking out to where her husband once lay. Her arm lay against the sheet heated by the warmth of her own body, not another's like it should have been…

"Wash…" she murmured faintly, as though she expected him to hear it.

She shut her eyes tightly, pursing her lips with frustration as through trying to rid herself of a deep annoyance. She couldn't quite understand what she felt… was it hurt? …Abandonment? …Anger?

No… A small voice spoke in her head.

"You're stronger than this."

She felt a pang in her stomach. One part of her ached to move on with her life, she was a woman of discipline, courage and honour. She was head strong and trained to face the harsh realities of war. But on the other hand, she had never lost such a huge part of herself; she wanted to feel – to release herself finally. It wasn't often the captain deliberately left her alone without a purpose, duty or role to carry out.

"Take care of Serenity." He had told her upon departing that day.

She read between the lines, and took his words as "Take care of Wash." The captain hadn't directly commented on Wash's death, and she was sure he wouldn't until she had mourned his passing. Although, it was highly unlikely the captain would bring Wash up at all...

Zoe dragged her eyes slowly around the familiar yet peculiar quarters. A dim green light made the metallic dominated environment, soft and aloof. It was too quiet in here, too suffocating. She still had her old habit of dumping her clothes on the floor. To hell with it, she was going to put on the same things she had worn the day before. She reached down and yanked up whatever garments she could find. Before long, she had on her bright orange top, sturdy cream work trousers and her combat boots. She pulled her hair back roughly, as though some kind of physical pain would lessen the psychological pain and forced it into a cascading ponytail of curls. She stepped towards the hand basin set within the wall, and ran the cold tap. She caught the water in her hands, and doused her face with it. The cold water was soothing, and refreshing. It felt good to send a shiver down her spine.

There was a light knock at the door…

Zoe knew instantly it would the doctor and his sister River. The captain very rarely let Simon and River off the boat even after their pardon from the Alliance, but today he had landed in a trader's settlement that was notorious as a refuge for those looking to avoid questions about their identity and past. Simon had been apprehensive about taking River off the boat, however he had picked up on the captain's vibe and agreed to leave out of respect for Wash and Zoe. Death was not something many people liked to encounter, but in the doctor's line of work he had become somewhat accustomed to it. He held a deep respect for those in mourning. Not that he had lost many patients at all through any fault of his own – for he was splendid at his job. He had been issued with patients who would not survive, even if they were under the most gifted doctor in the verse. He knew it was best to leave the grieving alone, if only for a little while. The doctor could see that Zoe was being courageous, and Wash's death had not impacted upon on her functionality within the team.

Zoe trudged towards her door.

Sure enough she was face to face with Simon. His face was paler than usual and his eyes were bulging slightly.

"Alliance on your tail?" questioned Zoe sarcastically. She quirked one of her eyebrows inquisitively.

"When aren't they?" said the doctor, who inclined his head and shrugged his shoulders casually.

"Though it's nice that they're after us for fraternizing with known plunderers this time around." He smiled.

"Easy doc." Zoe said; though she smiled appreciatively at his humorous grin.

"Where is…" began Zoe.

"Here." Beamed River as her grinning face appeared around the edge of the doorway.

Her hair askew and her eyes inquisitive in that child like manner. She clutched at the doorway and peered unblinking into Zoe's eyes.

"May fourteenth. Your favourite colour was blue. My Ice Queen." began River.

Simon fixed her with a gaping expression. Zoe's eyes dropped as she bit down on her bottom lip, nodding all the while.

"… Cold and hard at first but so beautiful, that it's impossible to stay away." Zoe was still nodding, as she had completed the sentence that River had started.

"You're a mushy pile of snow." added River.

"My mushy pile…" added Zoe stoically.

"What's this?" said Simon, as his eyes flicked from River to Zoe and back again, his finger tip pointing from one woman to the other.

River put her hand to her mouth and proceeded to chew upon her fingertips lightly, as she stared at Simon in disbelief. He knew her well enough to know she thought he was completely incompetent for not comprehending the exchanges between Zoe and herself.

Zoe fixed the doctor with an understanding look.

"Wash took me to the snow on Ganymede and asked me to marry him there. The conversation that just came up between River and I preceded his proposal. I have never told a living soul about it."

"I'm sorry…" uttered Simon.

"She doesn't know that some things make people…"

"Its okay." said Zoe reassuringly.

"He still means it!" interjected River rather loudly.

Her large brown eyes bore into Zoe's, as she nodded enthusiastically.

"He means it as much now, as he did back then."

Simon reached out for River, and placed his hands gently upon her shoulders – looking deep into her face. He bent down slightly so he was eye to eye with her.

"That's enough River, I think you just need something to eat. Jayne was kind enough to purchase half a dozen apples for us all to share."

Zoe leaned down and reached for something beyond Simon's line of sight.

Simon looked back to River in confusion and heard the all too familiar noise of somebody cocking a weapon. Simon looked back to Zoe, his mouth gaping in shock.

"We're…. she…" Simon trailed off… a look of panic crossed his face.

He looked to River helplessly, who was smiling and admiring Zoe's shotgun.

Zoe dropped the shotgun heavily into the holster sitting across her waist, and looked from Simon to River.

"My husband is dead; ain't nothing in the verse can change that." She said in a tone of stating fact.

"He is worm food… yes." nodded River.

"His body temperature would have…" she trailed off as Simon turned to her. His eyebrows pressed in on each other in frustration as he shook his head at his sister.

"No River." he murmured disapprovingly.

"He doesn't have to be worm food though, the man who loves dinosaurs. We can bring him back!" nodded River, a determined look plastered upon her face.

"I'm not very partial to the idea of digging him back up, and living with the smell. It was bad enough when he was living." said Zoe in a deadpan tone.

It was obvious she had had enough; she stepped through the doorway, and looked Simon square in the face before looking to River and proceeding ahead. It was clear she was going to take her place at the helm of Serenity and await the arrival of the captain and the rest of the crew.

"Time is running out." said River as she looked vaguely off into the distance.

"Wash says she'll never agree, so we have to force her instead." nodded River, before she plucked the edges of her dress up in her finger tips, and skipped off along the metal bridge. Her boots clunking heavily as she went.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**  
**Silly games for silly rabbits**  
**-**

River had skipped back into her quarters, Simon trailing quietly behind her. He was hesitant about invading her space when she was aboard Serenity, but her exchange with Zoe had roused his curiosity.

There was a dull thud as River dropped down onto her bed. Simon stepped into the doorway and watched as river lay contemplating the ceiling above her. She had evidently decorated it with a beautifully detailed pattern. Kaylee had assisted her, and painted bright thickly lined butterflies and flowers about River's patterns. River's hair was splayed in every direction, and she had the air of a person not wanting to be disturbed.

"River what were you talking about before?" asked Simon.

He perched himself gently at the edge of River's bed.

"The man with a fascination for the theropod dinosaur… tyrannosaurus rex. He's been hanging around lately like a bad smell. Just like Zoe said… a bad smell." nodded River.

Simon drew a deep breath. He knew just how intelligent River was, but at times her psychosis was hazy and she still suffered odd moments, where her perception of reality and fantasy mingled together. It was still hard for him to determine whether or not she was being delusional, and a part of him felt he would never restore River to a completely stable frame of mind.

"We need to be cautious about discussing Wash around Zoe." said Simon gently.

"The captain feels she hasn't come to terms with his death yet. She could be pre-disposed to an episode of extreme depression, and we all need to support her if it comes to that." he continued.

"You're too late." smiled River.

"She's already taken, her mind… body… soul. She's just too stubborn to realize it." stated River. She hadn't taken her eyes off the painted ceiling.

Simon's face contorted, as he fixed River with a shocked look.

"Don't worry, for the time being we're all safe. She won't slit our throats in our sleep just yet. She's a good kid." stated River matter of factly.

"I should go and talk to her about it. She hasn't mentioned Wash since his… " Simon trailed off.

He liked Wash very much. He had a good way of defusing tense moments. Especially when it came to the captain being riled up… and Kaylee… she was the love of his life. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her, let alone living through it… What Zoe must have been going through.

"Kaylee doesn't like things that are imitating ducks, or swans anymore. You're to blame for that." muttered River.

Simon snapped out of his stupor.

"Do me a favour please River? Drop the Wash thing."

River fixed her brother with a mutinous stare. She sat up quickly and folded her arms together tightly, as she let out an angry huff.

Simon approached her, and placed his hands upon her shoulders, squeezing them gently.

"Please do this for me." he murmured.

River had started to breathe rather heavily. Her chest was heaving, and her lips were pursed together so tightly, it was as though she was sucking on a particularly sour lemon.

It happened in an instant.

River's cabin was full of shrill cries, and shrieks.

Her voice echoed and vibrated off the walls, as her cries began getting higher and louder.

She leapt from the bed to the floor and lurched over uncontrollably, her hair covering every inch of her face.

Simon's heart had leapt into his mouth, this was the worst turn he had seen in a while.

He started towards River, eyes wide in panic. He was only just starting to come to his senses. His ears were throbbing with the noise of River's cries. She was screaming at such a high pitch that he could feel it in his teeth, and he felt like his head was going to split in two.

"Please River just calm down, I'll get you to the infirmary and we can! …"

Simon was cut short.

One moment he was staring at River, and the next he wasn't. She had simply vanished…

… Or had she?

Simon heard the noise of ruffling, amidst River's continued shrieks.

In an instant she had yanked the blankets from her bed, she lifted them high into the air and stepped back towards Simon.

He tilted his head, and reached for the blankets but River was too fast for him.

She caught him in a whirlwind of fabric. Her ferocity was so fierce, that all went dark for Simon and he was left feeling disorientated, and shocked.

Before he knew it, he was a tangled mass upon the hard steel floor of River's quarters.

What was she playing at?

He noticed at once that the screaming had ceased.

He made to tear the blankets from himself, but found that he was unable to move his arms. Somehow amidst the frenzied blanket attack River had managed to bind his wrists together.

"River?" he mumbled through labored breaths.

"I'm sorry Simon." came a small voice.

"River what are you playing at?" questioned Simon authoritatively.

There was an odd shuffling sound, followed by the pounding of heavy boots.

Simon could feel the vibrations growing stronger, as the source of noise drew nearer.

"What's going on, is everything alright!" yelled Zoe.

From what Simon could tell Zoe was still out in the corridor.

"I'm here!" shouted the doctor in reply. "I'm alright, it's just River… I… She… was just playing a game!"

Simon didn't want the burden of River's odd behavior troubling Zoe at this time.

The doctor felt a pair of strong hands fall upon his side.

"What was with all the screaming doctor? Is River having another turn?"

Simon was glad Zoe couldn't see his face, for it would have given his lie away.

"No she's completely fine, this is just a… game… from our childhood." he lied.

Zoe let out an odd noise, as though she wasn't quite convinced. She began pulling at the blankets which entombed Simon. There was hardened strength within her hands, but it was evident that she was struggling to untangle River's work.

"You two must have played this game a lot. She's done you up good and tight doc." sighed Zoe.

"Yeah well… she's a bit of a mutant." chuckled Simon.

"River!" called Zoe. "Sorry doc, gonna need her help if I want to get these blankets off before the captain comes back."

There was complete silence.

"I don't like that…" mumbled Simon.

He was starting to sweat from the lack of fresh oxygen, and felt his face burn as his head throbbed.

"Please hurry…" whispered Simon.

Zoe tiled her head, and said "Hang on doc…" She drew in a deep breath, and boomed "Riv…"

"Yes?" A small voice cut across Zoe's.

Zoe looked over her shoulder to where River stood. "River, help me out will you? You've got a good set of hands on you if you were able to do this. But I think your brother needs some air, we don't have a spare doctor on hand if we lose this one" Zoe smiled.

River knelt down beside Zoe and her incapacitated brother, and began picking at the heavy blankets. It seemed as though she had lost her blanket wrapping abilities. She fumbled about half hearted, as her eyebrows were furrowed with frustration, and her teeth clenched together tightly over pursed lips.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay River?"

River didn't take her eyes from Simon, but nodded her head in reply.

"This would have been a synch if I had brought my blade." signed Zoe impatiently.

It took a good ten minutes, of both River and Zoe tearing at the blankets before they were able to release Simon from his binds. It became clear that his wrists had been wrapped up with the twisted corner of a sheet. Simon lay relaxed before the two women, as Zoe untangled the last of the blankets from his limbs. He sat up rubbing his wrists, and taking in the fresher air. River was staring off vaguely into the corridor.

"Thump" she whispered mysteriously.

Zoe and Simon looked at her.

Simon raised his eyebrows slightly, and followed River's gaze off into the corridor.

"I take it the crew are back." he murmured.

Zoe leapt to her feet, placed a hand on River's shoulder and extended a hand towards Simon. He took it gratefully and was yanked to his feet by her raw strength.

"Time to heal the wounds of battle I'm guessing." sighed Simon.

River rolled her eyes in an obvious sort of way, and Zoe smirked.

She looked to Simon, and thought carefully about her words. "I suppose the captain has some new prospects for work. We'll meet quickly in the dining area before letting the rowdy get some rest… if there's no stragglers that is."

"What… Jayne? Bring home a straggler?" coughed Simon. He looked slightly alarmed.

"Maybe I was meaning Kaylee." stated Zoe with a cheeky grin.

She headed towards the door, smiling at River as she passed. Her footsteps dropped to a dull beat as she marched off to the meet the rest of the crew.

"She's covering up." nodded River. " But not for long, her destiny is already in place."

Simon smiled nervously, before taking River's forearm and leading her from the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
****The Job  
- **

Zoe sat down at the thick wooden table where a basket of brilliant red apples gleamed seductively in the way that only fresh apples could. From the moment human civilization took to the skies and terraformed other planets, advancements in dietary needs took place. Large stretches of land were no longer required to grow hordes of food, as a small laboratory sufficed. Scientists were able to formulate edible blocks that contained all the essential vitamins and minerals human beings needed for development. Fresh fruit and vegetables became obsolete as time progressed. A few families had kept detailed records as to how fruit and vegetables were grown, and eventually they were able to make a handsome living off their produce. Fresh fruit and vegetables had become a luxury for the wealthy.

Zoe reached across and plucked up an apple. Apparently Jayne had offended the captain, as this was usually his way of making it up to the crew. A small smile crept across her face, as she admired the beauty of something so rare as a fresh apple. She placed the apple carefully back amongst the bunch.

"Another moment where I wish I had my knife…" she murmured.

She got to her feet quickly, and proceeded out towards the stern of Serenity.

Suddenly a muffled noise rent the air. There was a jumbled plethora of footsteps outside the hull of Serenity. A gaggle of laughter, and the sound of somebody slamming against Serenity's cold steel body. Evidently given the impact of soft flesh upon a metal surface, the hitter had stopped abruptly and no doubt they were nursing a wounded fist or foot. Zoe began jogging, her hand sliding along the hand rail as she went. She hit the final flight of stairs and flew down them so quickly it was a miracle she didn't trip up and tumble down the stairwell.

The laughing crowd outside had died down, and there was an odd silence broken only by the stomping of heavy boots. Zoe's foot steps reverberated off every surface, as she hurried across the cargo bay. Her destination was the control panel which she would use to let the crew inside. She balled her right fist up and prepared to strike at one of the large buttons. She threw all of her force into it, and two red lights blazed into life, casting a haze of vivid red everywhere. Zoe looked up into the lights, and watched them spin in a mesmerizing manner. The back of Serenity was lowering to the ground, and Zoe hit one more button that made the heavy doors slide apart.

Three figures were gradually revealed.

The captain stood assisted by Inara and Kaylee who were evidently struggling beneath his arms. They began ascending the ramp towards Zoe. He had rested one arm upon each woman's shoulder, a large grin smothered across his face. He had blood dribbling from his nose and a shiny, fresh black eye.

"Ever heard of a peaceful get together?" he chuckled, as he shifted his eyes from Inara to Kaylee.

"A what now?" questioned the husky voice of Jayne.

"Yeah, me neither." smirked the captain.

Both women rolled their eyes, with Inara pursing her lips indignantly.

A roar of laughter wafted about, and Zoe noticed there were two high pitched voices joining in with the regales of laughter.

Jayne was stumbling rather heavy footed up the ramp. He was supported by two women also. Both of whom were unfamiliar, no doubt they were bar wenches looking for a warm place to sleep. One wore her hair in a large blonde bundle of curls atop her head. She had a gritty complexion and had obviously fallen upon hard times. The other woman had long sleek raven hair, and dark eyes that stuck out due to her pale skin. Zoe noticed that if either women were to sneeze suddenly their top halves were very likely to escape their skin tight bodices. Both of Jayne's hands were tucked away out of sight, and he had a large malicious grin on his face.

"You okay Sir?" asked Zoe mockingly.

Mal grinned widely. "Look at this face, I'm as right as this boat in atmo." he winked.

"About as right as you can be with somebody's fist implanted in your face." said Inara scathingly. "That odd stumble is from the fist he took in the temple, not the local choice of drink."

Inara smiled pleasantly as the Captain dropped a glare of mock hurt in her direction. She extracted herself from Mal's arm and made her way to Zoe. She placed a hand on Zoe's shoulder reassuringly and Zoe smiled in reply.

"Okay ladies how about we get to know each other, nice and cosy like" came Jayne's deep booming voice. There was a gaggle of laughter, and both women arched their backs seductively, batting their eyelids up into Jayne's mischievous face. Mal lifted his arm from Kaylee's shoulder, and turned to Jayne. He hadn't looked at either of the women but stared directly into Jayne's wondering eyes.

"Time to say goodnight." smiled Mal malevolently.

Both women stopped their flirting with Jayne, and their laughter ceased immediately.

"Ohh Cherry, I think he's interested in what we've got to offer too!" sniggered the curly haired blonde.

"I like to take on a challenge." smirked Cherry, as her eyes roved up and down Mal's body.

Mal looked across into the bright blue eyes of the blonde haired woman.

"Beggin' your pardon miss, maybe you misunderstood me, good night as in off my boat. Right now… go on with you." he said quietly, though the stern note in his voice could be discerned.

"Mal! Come on… I'll give ya Cherry… she likes…"

There was a loud thump that cut Jayne off abruptly.

The Captain had evidently hit the button that started lifting the ramp of Serenity.

"We got our next job to work out." said Mal with a tone of finality.

"Next job?… but… beautiful lady folk!" shouted Jayne in protest.

Both women smiled appreciatively up at Jayne, Cherry even bit her bottom lip and stared intensely into his eyes with a longing gaze. Suddenly without another look at either woman Jayne took them by the arms, and darted off towards the door. The ramp was slowly rising. He gave each woman a quick tap on the back side, and shoved them unceremoniously off the ramp. There was a thump, and a series of shrieks. Jayne turned back towards the Captain who had folded his arms tightly across his chest.

"Well, that didn't take much persuasion." said Mal with a tone of surprise.

"Yeah well, the scent of money beats the scent of cheap…" Jayne trailed off as his eyes flicked across to Kaylee, who was staring at him with her large innocent eyes. "Cheap perfume…" he continued, giving a nonchalant shrug.

"Ughhh…" mumbled Inara, as she placed her hands upon Kaylee's shoulders and began off towards the stairwell. Zoe let out a grunt of laughter, as Mal smirked, and proceeded to follow the girls up the stairwell.

"… 'sides, cash is more fun anyway" nodded Jayne.

The group continued their exchanges of how their night had been spent, right into the dining area. Mal dropped heavily into a chair at the head of the dining table. He was dabbing at his nose, and lip with a rag.

"Maybe I should look at that?" chimed the doctor.

"Nah, I can handle it doc. Been in this state plenty of times before. Besides we've got more important business to attend to. We got us a job that looks mighty dangerous, but the pay off is huge." said the captain imperiously.

"Now that's what I like to hear!" barked Jayne. "Big payin' means no more cheap…" He looked across to Kaylee again. She narrowed her eyes at him, and tilted her head in a disapproving manner. Jayne shrugged again in response.

"What's the plan captain?" asked Zoe.

"Visiting the abode of our deceased friend, Mr Universe." answered Mal.

"Cap'n, isn't that a little…" Kaylee trailed off, looking uncertain about her choice of words.

"Spit it out Kaylee." said Mal, giving her a coaxing look. Kaylee's eyes flicked nervously to Inara before she looked back into the captain's searching gaze.

"Isn't it a little disrespectful going onto somebody else's property…" she said quietly.

"Somebody else's property? He's dead aint he?" interjected Jayne. He looked from Kaylee to Mal.

"Kaylee, our bird needs feeding'." Mal indicated Serenity "… and we need feeding too. It is what it is, I aint saying respect for the dead is bad, or doesn't have it's place. But respecting the dead won't feed us anything beyond the soul. I'm responsible for the living, and if it means I gotta play the bad man, by desecrating the dead then so be it. I would rather keep you all living as best I can."

Every face in the room was fixed on Mal. His hands were closed in a tight ball upon the table, and his eyebrows were pressed together. He looked into every face, and felt a rush of affection for each of them. He would never tell them that, if he could help it - but a sense of duty overcame him.

"So… to answer your question Zoe, our instructions are to go to Mr Universe's place, and retrieve Lenore." he stated.

"Lenore? … What's a Lenore?" asked Simon, raising his eyebrows.

"Mr Universe's widowed love-bot." answered Zoe.

An uneasy feeling crept over the crew, as they all looked to Zoe in unison. Inara's eyes were full of concern, and Kaylee was biting her bottom lip nervously. Zoe had just mentioned the word, they had all tried so hard to avoid. The very title that Zoe officially fell under. Jayne sat back in his chair, and the squeak of his chair that usually went unnoticed echoed like a thundering roar. However Zoe's face was impassive, and she remained defiantly confident in light of the sudden drop in mood.

"Exactly…" answered Mal slowly, his eyes settled upon Zoe. He dropped his gaze to the table and recomposed himself instantly.

"Mr Universe had many uses for Lenore." The captain's eyebrows flicked upwards, indicating the irony of the situation. "The droid was left at his quarters after the information pertaining to the infamous Miranda incident was wiped from her memory bank." For a slither of a second, he looked to Zoe again, before proceeding. "All of Mr Universe's equipment was plundered and destroyed by the Alliance. Their top experts removed all the information he had gathered during his lifetime." Mal smirked. "Or so they thought."

Jayne flashed a toothy grin, and nodded, his eyes fixed unflinchingly upon Mal.

"We all know Mr Universe was two steps ahead of the Alliance on an off day, and at least ten steps ahead when he felt like trying. Lenore is an example of that. Some folk think there's a chance they can unlock what she holds. There's no way the Alliance will have removed everything. Now I don't know what she's got left, that aint part of the job. We just have to get the droid, into the right hands, and we're flying pretty on a full tank, and full bellies."

Mal started dabbing again at the coagulated blood upon his face.

"This sounds too easy…" said Zoe uncertainly. "Nothing in life comes by that easy."

"What about Cherry, and what's her face? That's a perfect description of easy." nodded Jayne with a grunt of laughter.

Mal shot a contemptuous look at Jayne. More so for the interruption, than the content of his lewd statement.

"All we have to go on is the name of the boat we're delivering to, co-ordinates of the rendezvous point, and when we're meant to show up." Mal said.

"I've been assured by the supplier of this job, that we're not dealing with anything that's worth more in trouble, than credits. I've used this supplier in the past, and never had an issue." Mal sat back in his chair, and pulled a thin card from his pocket. He placed it upon the table, and a fine lined grid blazed to life outlining the form of a ship, and detailing the location of their meeting point.

"The delivery goes to the Galatos ship, a Nova Magnus class ship, classification number . The Rendezvous point uses the Galactic Coordinates system in relation to Earth That Was at RA = 26:10.1 and RA = 14:05:8. We have approximately 76 hours, 35 minutes, and 10 seconds… 9 seconds… 8 seconds… until the pick up will take place."

Everybody looked in surprise to the entranceway from the back hall, where the voice had drifted in from. River had concealed herself behind the entranceway to listen in on the conversation.

Inara looked to Simon, who was gazing at the captain with a look of uncertainty. Inara looked to Mal also, with a pleading look upon her face. She often defused Mal's bad reactions, if he felt impeded upon during a briefing. She was pleasantly surprised to find Mal smiling across to River.

"That's our albatross! I like how easy you make briefing. Set course little albatross."

"To where?" grunted Jayne daftly; confusion plastered all over his face.

"To visit Lenore of course." replied River, before anybody else could answer.

She skipped through the dining area, not looking at any of them and headed off towards the bridge.

"That is of course, unless any of you have reservations. I won't force you to step off the boat." Mal looked to each crew member, searching for any sign of doubt.

"Easy money's easy money right? nodded Jayne. He sat back in his chair, slipping his fingers casually into the waistband of his pants. He exuded that familiar aura of greed, he often got when briefings over money took place. Mal had never known Jayne to back down from a job, unless it related to Jaynes Town.

"Right." answered Mal. "Lets go say hi to Lenore. Lock and load people, lets get ready to kiss the sky."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Fight to Flight**

Serenity's engine room fired to life, and the familiar roar of lift off filled the ears of all the crew aboard. A quick shunt told them the powerful turbines were rotating to provide the boost needed for a strong, quick lift off. The legs of the ship withdrew from the ground, and Serenity set off in a flurry of swirling dust clouds.

Mal looked across to River, who was concentrating on the pitch black view beyond the bridge windows. A small figurine of a triceratops sat in her lap. A ritual she had incorporated as part of her agenda for lift off. River had adapted so fittingly into her new position as the pilot, that the difference between her flying skills and Wash's were virtually indistinguishable. River looked across to Mal, and fixed him with a soul searching gaze. Her chocolate brown eyes locking on to his dull sapphire eyes.

"You miss him too." she stated.

Mal's eyebrows lifted in surprise as a smirk crossed his face.

"It goes without saying', but I miss him more so for Zoe's sake than my own. I need a clear headed second, not someone who could boil over at any moment." said Mal.

"Like me." nodded River, with a deadpan tone to her voice.

She thrusted the booster control forward forcibly, making the turbines rotate 90 degrees, so Serenity would cease lifting and continue forward. She still hadn't torn her gaze from the captain.

"Now wait a tick, I wasn't meaning… you… you know you're a shoe in for this job." exasperated Mal.

River smiled innocently, and Mal let out a horse gasp.

"Got you!" she laughed.

Mal looked off at a radar screen before staring off into the night sky. His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Lets put this rock to our tail well and truly." he said, inclining his head. "I see you had already preset our coordinates."

River reached for the gear shift, and eased it forward. Serenity shuddered, before the noise of her engine picked up with ferocity. A brilliant pulse of yellow haze lit up the sky around them momentarily. Suddenly it was as though an invisible set of hands were pushing Serenity from behind. She lurched forward with a spurt of speed and began slicing through a multitude of misty clouds, towards the infinite stretch of darkness beyond.

"Yup. I played a game with Simon. I saw Red do it to cattle. Wrangling they called it. Then I came and set course while he was being pathetic upon the floor." River's face was expressionless, and she spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"You're still calling Jayne Red then?" said the captain.

"I think he still looks better in red." muttered River.

Meanwhile, Zoe sat motionless on her bed, staring at a single brightly coloured shirt that was hanging from a railing. She hadn't fully realized she was staring at it until she began to follow the repeated pattern of palm trees with her eyes. She reached across and yanked the shirt from the railing, in one swift movement. She held the shirt up to her face and fought off the desire to bury her face amongst the bright blue fabric. A musky faint odour wafted about her nostrils. It was the type of smell that was entrancing. It was threatening to ensnare Zoe in a plethora of memories. She gripped the shirt with every ounce of strength she could muster, and roughly threw it aside, not bothering to watch where it fell. The anger that was threatening to spill over ebbed away, instantaneously.

She wasn't sure why she hadn't disposed of this particular shirt. She disliked it even when Wash was alive, as it was impossible for him to blend in, if a situation called for camouflage and concealment. However, given Wash's untimely, and surprising death the shirt served nothing more than being a reminding nuisance. It made Zoe feel as though Wash was going to walk through the door into their quarters at any moment.

There was a sudden raucous of thumps at the door, that made Zoe jump with surprise. She got up and tore the door open. She found herself face to face with Jayne. He had a hungry look upon his face, and his eyes bore intensely into Zoe's. There was a glint of longing in his grey, blue eyes.

"Saddle up baby, papa's come to town!" he barked gruffly. He proceeded to bite down on his bottom lip.

Zoe nodded and stepped closer towards him.

"Meet you in two." she replied.

Jayne slapped hard at the gun he held lovingly to his chest.

"Vera here's been dying for a bit of action lately!" he replied. "I can't wait to grease her up nice and good." He smirked, and turned to head towards the cargo bay. There was a spring in his step, and he couldn't help but beam toothily through the corridors. Inara stepped into the corridor from her shuttle, tugging an elegant red shawl about her shoulders. She took one look at Jayne's smile, and returned one of her own glossy magenta smiles.

"Well, well… aren't we a box of kittens?" she said, as she blinked up at Jayne.

He stopped mid pace, slammed his foot down on the hard metal surface and stood up tall, fixing Inara with a boyish look.

"Kittens? I dunno about kittens Inara, but Vera's in need of some TLC." he said gruffly.

Inara folded her arms, the grin on her face remaining in place.

"Y'know… TLC. That's your domain aint it?" said Jayne, as he tilted his head.

Inara laughed, her dark curls cascading down her front.

"I doubt my kind of TLC… or tender loving care… and your kind of TLC are the same. I'm sure your definition of TLC is all about bar fights, and drunken escapades." she laughed.

"Yep… TLC, butt kicking. Same thing in my book." nodded Jayne. He gave Vera another hearty slap, bowed his head, and continued on past Inara.

"Eloquent of you." she grinned, before moving off in the opposite direction.

Jayne began booming the lyrics to a rather crude song, about pub brawls and long lost love. His voice bounced off every surface he passed, the ear covers of his orange and yellow hat from his mother bobbing about in time with his swaying.

He reached the stairwell leading into the cargo bay, and leapt down two steps at a time. He made his way towards an empty upturned crate. Evidently it was used as a chair instead of a crate, as another crate sat beside it, with a square piece of wood sitting on top of it. Jayne threw himself down upon the crate, and placed Vera down on the make shift table. He yanked a satchel out from the back of his waist band, and threw it down on the table with a loud thump.

Footsteps sounded out, and Jayne looked to Zoe who was approaching the cargo bay from the cat walk. She had her lever action rifle, and was laden with ammunition and grenades.

"Grenades! We always need grenades!" shouted Jayne.

"For once, we got 'em!" replied Zoe.

More footsteps rang out, and both Jayne and Zoe looked for the cause of the noise. Kaylee was coming down the stairwell leading from the back hall. No doubt she had just been in the engine room. Her green overalls were covered in a greasy substance, which smattered the bridge of her nose also. Simon was following her, his pristinely white top looked out of place, next to Kaylee's well worn overalls. His hands were covered in the greasy substance, and he looked appalled.

"Geeze, River sure knows how to suck the juice from Serenity." she muttered. "I don't think she's worked this hard in a good long while." Kaylee looked frustrated, but it didn't stop the familiar smile from spreading across her lips.

"Nothing you can't handle though right Kaylee?" Zoe said flashing a bright smile.

Some how Kaylee's smile broadened even more so, and she clasped her hands together in appreciation. Simon placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up into his beaming face. Zoe looked from Kaylee, to Simon. Her eyes lingered on Simon's hand momentarily, before she dropped her attention back to Jayne.

"Got the rag?" Zoe asked, as she dropped herself down into the upturned crate across from Jayne's and began dismantling her rifle for cleaning and maintenance. Jayne tossed her a black oily old rag, that had been white in another life.

Kaylee and Simon pulled up another couple of crates, and sat around Jayne and Zoe. Their eyes racking over the scene of countless bullets, grenades, and other dangerous looking paraphernalia.

"I never quite get used to this." said the doctor.

Jayne let out a grunt, as he dismantled Vera.

"I'd rather be the one doin' the pointin' doc, than the one bein' pointed at." Jayne said, he didn't look up from what he was doing.

A loud slap gave Simon and Kaylee a shock. They looked around to Zoe, who had evidently finished cleaning her weapon. She had reassembled her rifle, and was checking that the weapon was not loaded. She squeezed the trigger, and a hollow sounding click went off.

"Sounds perfect." she quipped. She proceeded to feed rounds into the chamber.

Suddenly a loud static sound exploded in the air around everyone, and the captain's voice filled every corner of Serenity.

"We've got company. An Alliance Cruiser has hailed us, and are requesting that we dock. We have a matter of minutes, so all of you get to the bridge now!" Mal's voice was full of an urgency, that inspired nerves and unease.

Zoe and Jayne looked directly into each other's eyes, and an understanding passed between them. They looked to Simon, who in turn looked stunned. His eyes wide with uncertainty. In a snatching fury, all the ammunition, grenades and weapons were gathered up and bundled into any pair of hands that would take them. Jayne still managing to hold Vera affectionately, amidst handfuls of ammo belts, magazines and grenades.

A raucous of footsteps echoed about, as four pairs of feet rang out urgently against a cold hard metal surface. Each pair of lungs were fit to burst, as Zoe, Jayne, Simon and Kaylee sucked in deep rasping breaths.

"What the… ruttin' hell… is an Alliance Cruiser doing… on the edge of space!" exclaimed Jayne between heavy breaths.

"I dunno, but… it can't be good news!" huffed Zoe in reply.

Within a minute they all ground to a halt in the bridge. Kaylee and Simon huddled closely together, panic stricken and nervous. Zoe and Jayne were both stoic, clutching at their weapons with enthusiasm.

"What's the plan?" said Zoe.

Mal was standing, bent over the small communicator screen. His hands were white and tense, and his brow furrowed in contemplation.

He looked down at River, who fixed him with a searching look. He looked to Zoe, his nostrils flaring from his obvious nerves.

"We hide Simon and River. The job card stays on me. All the ammunition gets stowed out of sight." Mal eyeballed them all, with a look of finality.

"But…." Simon looked apprehensively around, before his large blue eyes fixed on River. "We've been pardoned haven't we?" He looked lamely at the captain.

"So the Alliance says. But the treatment they gave Mr Universe's dwelling, and the fact that it seems like they were waiting for us has me thinkin' twice about a pardon." Mal wiped his brow, which had started to glisten with sweat.

"It's more likely the pardon was politically motivated." nodded Inara. She placed a tender hand on the back of River's chair.

Mal gave an exasperated sigh.

"They got a lot of grief over the Miranda incident, and they've got a score to settle. This aint the time or place, to be chatting about what's what. Now I've given you orders."

He threw a menacing look at each of them.

"I don't want to give them again, once those orders have been carried out get down to the cargo bay. We don't got time to spare, the cruiser will be over us any second."

Inara took River's hand, and rushed to Simon's side. Kaylee's eyes were shining, and Inara suspected she was close to tears.

"Come Kaylee, help me get them into my shuttle."

The four of them rushed to Inara's quarters. Elegant drapes hung from every inch of her shuttle, and the air was thick with sweetly scented incense. She pulled aside a large orange drape, and ushered River and Simon in behind it.

Inara gave an odd push against a metal panel in the wall. It came away, and she motioned for River and Simon to get inside.

"There's enough room for the two of you in there." said Inara.

Kaylee looked at her with a shocked expression.

"Inara, I never realised this existed. Do you assist the captain? I thought you were against his… acquiring." she smiled nervously.

"I don't use it personally, but just like Serenity, her shuttles are riddled with these panels that smugglers use. Unfortunately they won't help with reavers…" A chill ran up everybody's spines, and a shiver seemed to pass through each of them.

"It should be fine if the Alliance don't look too closely." said Inara, with a hint of anxiety. She was holding River's hand, as the younger woman was stepping into the dark enclosed space. River sank down onto the floor, pulled her knees up to her chest and looked upward.

"Oh sorry." exclaimed Inara. She reached up, and hit a small touch sensitive light. A dull shaft of light illuminated the space, and River smiled comfortably as she slumped back against the wall.

"Are you okay River?" murmured Inara, her eyes wide with concern.

"I'm fine." replied River. Her eyes were closed, and she appeared to be in a meditative state.

Simon's mouth hung open in surprise, as he had expected River to protest being stuck in an enclosed space.

"The man who loves the dinosaurs needs this." she nodded conclusively. "We'll be okay, it's just a game, like wrangling. Only it's hide and seek instead." she said.

"Doctor… it's time." said Inara quietly. His blue eyes met her dark eyes, and he nodded. The dark haired woman stepped back, to give Kaylee and Simon a moment alone.

Kaylee bent down and clutched at River's hand appreciatively. River took Kaylee's hand and squeezed it, but didn't open her eyes. Simon ran a tender hand down the side of Kaylee's face, and reached across to cup her chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"Kaylee… we'll be fine." His eyes searched Kaylee's for what felt like a lifetime, and the confidence of his words were betrayed by his uncertain gaze. Kaylee's eyes sparkled with tears, and she let out a faint groan. She placed her hands forcibly upon Simon's white collared shirt, and pulled him into a fierce kiss. Momentarily the severeness of their situation lifted, as their kiss turned into a longing embrace. Kaylee disengaged herself, and looked up into Simon's face once more.

"We'll be okay." he nodded, placing his hands upon her arms, and giving them a reassuring squeeze. He ran a gentle hand through Kaylee's straw colored hair, before he bent down, and crouched into the small space - facing his sister, who was still keeping her eyes shut tight. He placed a hand upon River's, and surveyed her briefly before looking again into Kaylee's woe-struck face. She didn't like the idea of being parted, but she understood it was for their safety. She lifted a hand in parting, and gave a half hearted smile.

"Bye…" she worded silently, faltering before she was able to finish what she truly wanted to express.

Inara stepped in beside Kaylee, and lifted the panel from the ground. Her eyes were full of concern, but she held herself tall with confidence.

"We'll come for you, as soon as we're able to. Don't leave this space until then, do you understand?" she said rather breathlessly. Both Simon and River nodded wordlessly.

Kaylee turned away quickly, though she made no effort to leave. Her face was buried in the palms of her hands. The last thing Inara saw, was Simon's pale face looking on in bewilderment to where Kaylee had been standing. She aligned the panel, and gave it a hard push, and then a jerking pull. A series of noises indicated that the panel had locked into place. It blended seamlessly with the surrounding panels, and the shard of light illuminating the run away siblings remained concealed. The orange drape fell back into place, shielding the metal wall completely from view. Anybody unfamiliar with the haven riddled walls of a Firefly, would have been none the wiser that two people were stowed away.

Inara flicked her raven curls over her shoulder impatiently, and grasped Kaylee's hand tightly.

"Come Kaylee." she murmured softly.

She began to jog, her deep red robes rippling about making soft swishing noises. A chorus of clanks and jingles vibrated out from the delicate strings of bracelets and necklaces that adorned her neck and wrists. Inara tugged Kaylee along, with a pang of guilt that she didn't have the time to console her.

There was a bone rattling shudder, and a loud metallic clicking noise as Serenity's landing gear unfurled. They were clearly docking on board of the Alliance Cruiser. A final lurch forward, and a heavy downward thrust meant Serenity had touched down. Inara placed a comforting hand on Kaylee's back, as they found themselves arriving in the cargo bay. Their eyes met, chests heaving as they struggled to dull their racing hearts. A chorus of footsteps signaled the impending arrival of the rest of the crew. Jayne came hurtling down the stairwell, followed closely by Zoe, her bushy dark hair whipping about wildly. The captain was taking up the rear, looking surly but focussed.

Jayne and Zoe came to a halt at Inara and Kaylee's sides, while Mal swept past them. He punched out at the control panel, and Serenity's ramp began lowering as her rear doors began to open ominously. He made a final mad dash to the crew, and met them all with a concerned look.

"We got one chance at this, gotta make this first impression count as a friendly one. Don't give them a reason to look any closer than they have to." His gaze lingered on Jayne momentarily, before Kaylee reached out, and put a hand on Mal's forearm. He nodded at her, and turned to face the lowering ramp. The crew raised their hands into the air. Mal chanced a glance in Jayne's direction, and Jayne put his hands in the air begrudgingly with a scowl. The captain reached into the back of the waistband of his trousers, and removed a leather satchel, containing their legal trading documents.

Serenity's crew quickly found themselves staring down the barrels of numerous weapons. A severe looking man in a perfectly pressed uniform marched dutifully up the ramp into the cargo bay. He had cold blue eyes, a bulbous nose, and at least three chins. He was quite young, and no doubt had to prove himself a worthy Alliance Officer. Jayne threw him a contemptuous look.

"Where is the Captain of this vessel!" he demanded authoritatively.

"That'd be me." replied Mal, waving the satchel of trading documents in an obvious manner.

"Him!" yelled Jayne unnecessarily, pointing a gloved hand in Mal's direction.

The captain rolled his eyes, and his lips tightened into a lopsided sneer.

The inspecting officer took one step towards Mal, his cohorts imposing their weapons menacingly upon the crew.

Suddenly many things happened at once. There was a loud BANG, and a high pitched grinding noise. The inspecting officer was thrown violently off his feet. There was a loud clatter, as all manner of weapons, equipment, and cargo hit the floor. Bodies flew uncontrollably in every direction, and hit the cold metal walls and floor with dull thuds. A high pitched siren wailed through the air, and an ear splitting voice rang out.

"We have an unregistered ship approaching fast! All personnel are required on the main deck immediately. Gunners to your stations."

Everybody had clambered to their feet, dazed, and shocked at the occurrences. The atmosphere was utter chaos, and all the noises combined to form a discordant web of confusion.

Inara clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes were wide with fear. She locked eyes with Mal, and he rushed immediately to her side.

"Don't move! Hands where I can see them!" barked the inspecting officer.

Some of the grey clad Alliance Soldiers had already turned about, and were rushing from the cargo bay, back to the Alliance Cruiser without a backwards glance.

"Detain these people! We'll deal with them later!" he boomed, at a group of soldiers who seemed to be unsure of what they should do.

"Zoe get the ramp up!" yelled Mal, as he picked up an Alliance weapon, and pointed it at the inspecting officer.

"Get off my ship!" He boomed, hatred etched upon his face.

Another sudden jolt, even stronger than the first one shook the ship violently, and clouds of dust began unfurling from every corner of the cargo bay. Again, everybody was lifted off the ground, and thrown about like rag dolls. Serenity's lights flickered, and gave out. Yet another siren added to the din, and this time it was Serenity's warning system. The red lights, of the back up lighting system blazed into life, and illuminated the cargo bay ominously.

Zoe had plowed shoulder first into the hard surface of the floor. Warm blood oozed slowly down the side of her face. Her vision was blurry, but she pushed herself up quickly, and stumbled towards the control panel. She jabbed at the large button, and Serenity's ramp began lifting. She looked out into the hull of the Alliance Cruiser and noticed the lights had gone out on their fortress of a ship also. She understood that it was imperative that the ramp closed to prevent any access to outsiders. Zoe ran at one of the Alliance Soldiers, and kicked out at his hand, preventing him from picking up his weapon. The soldier stood up and made to strike her in the face with a fist, but she caught it and placed a well aimed kick into the side of his right knee. If it weren't for the cacophony of noise, a sickening crunch of disjointed bones would have been heard. The man folded in agony, screaming at the top of his lungs, and clutching at his mangled knee.

Another soldier read Zoe's lapse in concentration, and kicked forcefully out at her stomach. His heavy boot connected and she folded, thrown backwards off her feet, a rasping exhale of breath escaping her lungs. The man rushed at Zoe and caught her in a grapple. She was gasping for air, as she racked her fingernails at his eyes desperately. He growled in pain, but didn't relinquish his hold on her. She fingered at his pistol holster, and tore a small handgun from it, and managed to squeeze a round off into his thigh. He shuddered with shock, and abated his ferocious attacks upon her. She struck out quickly, and the butt of the handgun connected hard with his face. He toppled backwards, blood streaming from his thigh and face. He hit the ground and floundered about uselessly.

Jayne let out a war cry, as an Alliance soldier set upon him, throwing thick arms around his neck, a dagger tightly gripped in one of his fists. It looked like a particularly rowdy scuffle, as Jayne spun about trying to dislodge the soldier. Jayne threw his head back, and hit the soldier hard on the noise with the back of his head. Blood spurted from the soldier's nostrils, but he managed to press the tip of his dagger into the side of Jayne's neck. Jayne grit his teeth in pain, his eyes shut tightly as blood trickled from the wound.

"Just a ruttin' mosquito bite!" he snarled.

Jayne crouched low, and seemed to be gathering energy like a spring preparing to unfurl powerfully. The dagger clattered to the ground, and the soldier tightened his grip around Jayne's neck. It seemed as though the muscle of Serenity was momentarily overcome. Kaylee who had been crouching low to avoid the tussle, charged at the soldier, a toolbox in hand, and swung it vicously into the side of the soldier's head. Jayne seized the opportunity and charged backwards, with haste. The soldier on his back stood no chance, as Jayne collided heavily with the wall. Both men fell in a heap on the floor, Jayne grinning maliciously as he sat back up, having just sandwiched the soldier between himself and the wall.

Kaylee was staring, her mouth hanging wide open. There was another slight shudder, and she stumbled a few steps. It seemed to snap her back to reality, and she dropped the toolbox. She reached down for the dagger, and lifted it, observing the blood dripping from the tip of it's blade. There was an outbreak of footsteps, and Jayne suddenly let out a growl. He charged directly at Kaylee, she screamed in horror and took a step backwards. She bumped into something immovable behind her. Jayne towered over her, and pressed his hand in against hers, he was manipulating her hand with the dagger in it. There was an odd cushioning feel, punctuated by a sudden smooth movement that felt effortless like a hot knife cutting through butter.

Jayne was staring off over Kaylee's head, his eyes ablaze with fury, and his teeth bared in a vicious snarl. Kaylee came to her senses completely, and realized there was a person behind her. She turned her head slightly, and noticed a patch of grey colour in her periphery vision. She gasped, and released her grip on the handle of the dagger, but found that it was pointless because Jayne still had her hand enclosed in his. She made to turn around, but Jayne shook her slightly staring directly into her panic stricken eyes.

He released his hand from around hers , and the dagger fell to the floor. Jayne put a rough hand on her shoulder, and dragged her forward - preventing her from looking back. There was a heavy thump as a heavy object fell to the floor. Kaylee lifted the hand that had held the dagger to her face. It was streaked in deep crimson, that shone black beneath the red emergency lights.

Jayne stooped to Kaylee's eye level, and fixed her with a look of solidarity. He placed both hands on her shoulders, nodded, and stepped off to find Mal. The Alliance soldiers had been worked down to a considerable number, there were four men left standing, weaponless. One of whom was the inspecting officer. The three remaining men had their hands in the air, and looked resigned to their defeat. The inspecting officer was barking orders at them, but not a single man budged. Inevitably, he gave up and fixed the captain with a stubborn look.

Mal looked to Zoe, then to Jayne. Zoe and Mal had acquired Alliance guns, and were holding them at the soldiers. Jayne spotted the sling of a weapon partially concealed by debris, and tugged it up. He held it at waist height, and trained it in on the inspecting officer.

Mal, Jayne and Zoe closed ranks. Mal staring down the inspecting officer with a cold glare.

"Get out of my sight, you'll be off my ship soon enough." Mal spoke with a scintillating coldness. The sirens had long since died down, and his voice cut through the air.

"Inara, open the doors but keep the ramp up." He kept his eyes trained on their would be captors, as Inara shifted quickly towards the control panel. She looked a little worse for wear, due to her messy hair, a trickle of blood from the corner of her lips, and her torn robes.

The Alliance soldiers stumped into the small compartment, and turned to face the crew. An odd series of tapping, and scraping could be heard beyond Serenity's doors. The sound of metal on metal was unnerving, and the Alliance soldiers looked panic stricken. The doors of Serenity closed for the umpteenth time, with a loud slam.

"We gotta get the hell off this cruiser." said Mal, as he tossed the Alliance weapon aside. His eyes were down cast, and he seemed to be straining his ears for the noises beyond Serenity.

"Go and get our doc, and pilot. We'll sort this mess out later." he murmured indicating to the bodies, and debris strewn everywhere. Inara ran to Mal's side, and placed a hand upon his shoulder. She looked into his face, and noticed that Mal was determined not to meet her eye.

"What's going on Mal!" she urged, trying to pull at his shoulder to get him to face her. He was determined to get to the bridge, and strode off towards the stair well, held up only by the necessity of having to work over the top of scattered debris.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**  
**Unknown Assailants **  
**-**

Mal, Jayne and Zoe stood in the bridge, Mal frantically pulling at various switches mumbling "Come on Kaylee, come on." quietly to himself. Inara entered the bridge tugging her robes about, to avoid tripping on them. Simon followed, pulling River along, as her unkempt hair flew about her face. She wore a vague expression, and appeared to be unfazed by the commotion from moments before. Simon looked paler than usual, his hair disheveled, and bearing the hallmark signs of anxious fingers being dragged through it.

"Serenity's stalling, I think the jolts must have thrown her into emergency shut down mode." He hadn't stopped to look at anybody, as he continued to fiddle with buttons and inspect screens.

"Come on Kaylee!" he barked anxiously.

The docking hall of the Alliance cruiser had been long since plunged into darkness. So when a single door opened and a shard of green light spilled across the floor, it caught everybody's attention. River started breathing heavily and shuddered. She stepped back against the wall furtherest from Serenity's windows, and hid her face in her hands. Inara pulled the cowering woman in against her front, and River buried her face into Inara's shoulder gratefully. Inara hadn't taken her gaze away from the doorway in the distance.

Jayne trudged towards the control board and pressed himself as close to the windows as he could. His dull reflection was illuminated in the thick glass, and immediately flanked by the reflections of Zoe and Mal. They stared out into the large chamber Serenity sat within and were startled at the scene before them. Just like the cargo bay of their own ship, the ground outside was littered with various objects that combined to form a mass of discernible jumble. It looked like a bomb had gone off, and utterly decimated everything in sight. The atmosphere was made eerie by the fact that there were no Alliance soldiers visible.

Jayne made an odd grunting noise, as a bead of sweat trickled down his right temple.

"Why aint their gun stations spewing out ammo? and why are their gun ships lined up, untouched?" he said quietly, with a hint of foreboding in his voice.

Up until this point, the darkness had obscured the ships from their view, but from the slither of light casting in through the door, they could make out the outlines of at least five ships.

"Hello?" called River loudly.

She was ghostly white, and was clinging on to Inara, bundling up her bright red robes in her fists as she began to tremble uncontrollably. Zoe, Mal and Jayne pressed their faces closely to the windows, to peer down into the darkness. They were scanning desperately from side to side, for any sign of life or movement. Their breath was caught in their throats, as they stood silently observing the scene before them.

Suddenly a face loomed out of the darkness at them. There was a set of razor sharp teeth bared, and eyes that were bulging ferociously from their sockets. Every face inside Serenity let out a scream of fright, and everybody sprang back in horror. The crazed stranger dragged long jagged fingernails down the glass. His hair was rugged, and unbrushed, turning into lank dreadlocks. His eyeballs were sickly yellow, and his teeth were brown and rotting. Streaks of blood were oozing menacingly from his mouth, and at least two of his long sharp finger nails had been partially lifted.

"Reavers!" yelled Jayne. He trembled from head to toe, his eyes wide with panic.

"No!" exclaimed River.

She stepped towards the window, Inara reluctant to let her go.

"A person who has yet to be turned." she uttered.

"What!" said Mal, panic and disgust evident in his tone.

The scowling face continued to jeer in at them all, as he mouthed silent words at them. The windows were too thick for his voice to penetrate.

"He isn't one of them" said River quietly. She placed a palm on the glass, and began tracing his grotesque face with her finger tips. Her eyes were locked on him, and she appeared to be unnerved by his presence.

"He would kill us if he were in here, but he is not one of them." she nodded.

"She's got a point captain, if he was a Reaver, Serenity would have been overcome by now." said Zoe, as she looked to Mal.

"If he isn't a Reaver, what the hell is he?" whispered Mal.

Inara stepped forward and pulled River back.

"Jayne get down to Kaylee and help her out, I still don't feel like this is a place decent folk should be." said the captain.

Jayne nodded and ran from the bridge as quick as his feet would carry him. Mal took up a communicator and notified Kaylee of the impending arrival of Jayne.

Kaylee had her head buried deep in the engine bay. She was rerouting circuitry, and shouting orders at Simon.

"Pass me the wrench there" she said without looking up.

Simon pawed tentatively at the assortment of tools sprawled out on the floor. Kaylee sighed, and removed her head from the engine bay.

"She's never been this stubborn before" murmured Kaylee, as she reached down to the ground, patting anything she could reach.

"Uh huh! Here we go" she grinned. She hadn't torn her gaze from the engine bay at all, and demonstrated her affinity with tools. She looked to Simon, holding up the wrench so he could see it.

"This here's a wrench Simon." There was no malice in her voice, if anything she seemed entertained. "Geeze, you know all there is to know about bones, and muscles… and guts… but not what a common wrench is" she chuckled. Simon opened his mouth to reply but at that moment Jayne came thundering into the engine room.

"This aint no time to be playing classroom!" he boomed. "We got company of the savage kind, and it's best if we get gone."

Kaylee and Simon ground to a halt, and fixed Jayne with a terrified glance.

"Who?" said Kaylee, but Jayne cut her off mid sentence. "Best not to think about it, lets just get this bird flying again."

True to form, Kaylee managed to get Serenity fired to life. She stood over the engine bay, her eyes beaming with anticipation as she grinned broadly. She was fawning over the spinning turbine and intricate wiring, as though it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Jayne and Simon were both sweating profusely, Simon's sleeves pulled up roughly, and the chest of Jayne's t-shirt smattered in oil. Every single face in the engine room was looking utterly relieved.

Jubilation filled everybody on the bridge, as Serenity roared into life. A series of alarms went off, and Mal set about switching them off. River took up her position at the helm, and proceeded to lift Serenity gently from the ground. She screwed her face up with concentration, keeping her eyes fixed on the wild looking man who was still clinging to the window. Two of his cohorts had joined him, and they jeered on at the crew. They looked as ferocious as ever, scowling and clawing at the glass. River rotated the ship on the spot, trying desperately to avoid any obstacles.

"Ease her forward, and punch it." said Mal, his eyes fixed beyond the entrance point they had arrived in.

"Lets hope there isn't a locking beam enabled anywhere near here." said Zoe, as she clutched tightly at the back of River's chair. Mal looked at her briefly, worry shadowing his face, as his nostrils flared, and his lips tightened over clenched teeth.

Serenity drifted along through the dark landing dock, rows of combat equipment lay neatly in place, untouched. More Alliance gunships came into view, also unmanned and untouched. River's eyes were fixed on the wide expansive darkness just beyond them. Zoe and Mal looked frantically about, trying to ignore the men still scowling in at them. Even though Serenity was in flight, it didn't seem to deter the blood streaked strangers from trying to get in at the crew.

After what felt like an age Serenity was almost out of range of the artificial gravity the Alliance cruiser offered. Sensors opened the clear doors that had been used to seal the oxygen within the cruiser's docking platform.

"Punch it!" yelled Mal, as he gripped onto the console in front of him.

River shoved the gear shift forward, and Serenity gave an almighty surge, as a luminous cloud flared to life from the stern of the ship. The cavity of the landing platform was lit up with blinding light, and the savage men vanished in an instant, sucked towards certain death in the expansive abyss.

Inara and Zoe had collapsed unceremoniously to the floor.

"Sir! What about the others in the engine room?" yelled Zoe.

"I don't wanna take no chances on a locking beam, and who knows where or how those space fairies came about!" yelled Mal.

River gasped, and forced the powerful turbines to change direction suddenly. Serenity let out a horrible groan, as every rivet let out a creaking noise under the strain of holding everything together. Inara and Zoe scraped across the floor, as River and Mal folded with the change in G-force. Serenity's lights flickered out again, and she sat immobile.

"Three… two… one…" she whispered.

Mal opened his mouth to reply, but a flash of white light forced him to throw his hands up defensively over his face. The noise of an explosion followed, and was ear splitting to the point where they all instinctively clapped their hands to their heads. Serenity rolled sideways, and Mal tumbled from his chair. River had gripped tightly onto the console, in anticipation. She began pushing an assortment of buttons before easing the gear shift forward. Serenity crawled forward smoothly, her lights still faded out.

Mal got up slowly, rubbing his head. Inara and Zoe had got to their feet, and stepped in towards the windows, to get a better view of the events unfolding around them.

"What… in the…" whispered Mal, as the scene of a large gash in the side of the Alliance Cruiser reflected in his wide eyes.

Particles from the explosion, some larger than Serenity shot past with speed. They were indistinct and appeared to be nothing but dark shapes. Serenity melded in with the rubble, and River let out a sigh of relief.

Large plumes of fire spewed from the gash in the column furtherest from Serenity. They were beautiful, and expanded gracefully before burning out and fading into nothing. Serenity's bridge was lit with a peaceful orange glow, that would have given off an ambient effect if it weren't for the circumstance that led to their presence. Jayne, Simon and Kaylee stumbled into the bridge. As they joined the rest of the crew, their mouths dropped open in surprise.

"There's a leech…" said Zoe, as she pointed out at a large ship that had docked alongside the cruiser.

"A leech?" questioned Jayne. His eyes narrowed in disbelief. "No ruttin' way, I aint ever seen a leech that'd be able to take down a cruiser…"

"A leech as in a parasite?" said Simon slowly.

"Exactly that. A ship that docks, and sets up an access point by burrowing into their mark's ship. They enter it without authorization" answered Mal. "An old trick that died out years ago… or so we thought" he added balefully.

"What the hell can take on an Alliance Cruiser like that? said Jayne quickly. "Surely only Reavers!" he exclaimed.

"The bigger they are…" started Mal. "The harder they fall" nodded Zoe, cutting in across him.

"I'm guessing it was an inside job. Since we aint got any allies on the Alliance side, who else do we know that might be able to give us some answers?" said Mal.

"I don't need no answers Cap'n, I just know I wanna be a million miles from this mess." said Jayne, waving a hand at the scene before them.

"Aint no use runnin', if we don't know what we're dealing with Jayne. Inara you got any clientele that might have an insight into this?" Mal turned his head, and fixed her with a searching look.

She seemed to be considering him for a moment, and swallowed hard. But at that moment another smaller explosion jolted Serenity slightly, and a large ball of fire bellowed out into space. She seemed to find her resolve, and nodded.

"General Kerwin may be able to help. Power will need to be restored, before I can communicate with him through the database" she lowered her head slightly, looked to Mal's face briefly then stepped out of the bridge.

"She can't bring the power back just yet… but soon" grumbled River incoherently.


End file.
